A government warning has been issued to drug users in Northern Ireland over the existence of potentially contaminated ecstasy tablets after four people were admitted to hospital suffering from severe side effects after having taken the drug.

The Department of Health has issued the warning following four separate incidences of individuals being rushed to the Mater Hospital after experiencing “a severe reaction” to ecstasy pills bought in north Belfast.

Consultant Dr Joe Kidney, who treated the four patients, said that they had exhibited a range of symptoms that included excess sweating, dizziness, stomach pains and vomiting. All were suffering from diminished consciousness at the time of admission to the Mater, and two were actually unconscious.

Following a period of close observation, three of the patients were discharged from hospital.

While the exact cause of the reaction is yet unclear, the probable reason is that the ecstasy tablets were contaminated. However, it has not been ruled out that the users experienced adverse reactions after combining the ingestion of drugs with excessive alcohol intake.

Several young people have already died in Belfast this year, following abuse of prescription drugs and alcohol.

The Northern Ireland Drug and Alcohol Strategy Coordinator, Jo Daykin, commented: "The message must be made clear to young people today, that every time they take an ecstasy tablet they are dicing with death. Drugs and alcohol combined make for a serious and often lethal cocktail with fatal consequences, as we know from the three recent deaths in West Belfast.

She added: "Concerned drug misusers should, in the first instance, seek assistance from their GP. In the case of an emergency, the local accident and emergency department should be contacted." (CL)